Line-drawing device



June 28, 1955 H. GREENSPAN LINE-DRAWING DEVICE Filed Jan. 23, 1953 BVM; Mtg

ATTO R N EY United States 2,7l 1,81@ Patented June 28, i955 fico UNE-DRAWING DEVICE Herman Greenspan, New York, N. Y.

Application January 23, 1953, Serial No. 332,943

8 Claims. (Cl. IWL-113) The present invention relates to line-drawing devices for use on typewriters and the like, and in particular to a removable typewriter accessory for drawing horizontal and vertical lines.

The variety of work being done on a standard typewriter suggests the need for a line-drawing device which may be readily attached to an existing frame part of the typewriter for producing horizontal and vertical lines, as well as combinations thereof, without interfering with normal typewriter operation and running the risk of ruining the work. Examples of the most common dificulties heretofore encountered with known attachments have been penetration or ripping of the work, random variations in thickness and shadings in the lines produced, faulty carbons, and/'or the inability to make the requisite number of carbons.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel line-drawing device which obviates one or more of the aforesaid difficulties.

Specifically, it is among the objects of the present invention to provide a scribing accessory for a typewriter facilitating rapid drawing of horizontal and vertical lines without requiring modification of the typewriter, running the risk of ruining the paper being worked upon, or producing faulty carbons.

ln accordance with this aspect of the present invention, the line-drawing attachment embodies an extensible and retractable ball-point writing tip adapted to uniformly contact the movable cylinder of the typewriter thereby assuring uniformity in shading and thickness of the lines being drawn, as well as the requisite pressure to obtain multiple legible carbons.

Further, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a ball-point line-drawing attachment of the aforesaid character which may be readily dismantled for inspection and/or replacement of the ballpoint cartridge.

Many other objects and advantages will occu' to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds. In order to render the understanding of the invention complete and lucid and further to comply with the statutes relating to the same and to point out where i have made a patentable advance in the arts and sciences, l have shown and described the invention with certain specific embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical section through a line drawing device constructed in accordance with the present invention, shown mounted on a typewriter in an extended position engaging the cylinder of the typewriter;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Fig. l, but showing the line drawing device in its retracted position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a reduced top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. l.

Referring now specifically to Fig. l, there is shown a line drawing attachment embodying features of the present invention which is adapted to be supported on a typewriter having a movable cylinder if on a carriage, not shown. The cylinder l0 is arranged forwardly of a support 12 which is in the form of a printing point indicator including a vertically-extending frame part i4 and horizontally-extending lingers 16, 13. As seen best in Figs. 3 and 5, the vertically extending frame part 14 includes sides ida, 14h interconnected by a crossbar 14C adjacent the uppermost ends thereof. Secured to or formed integrally with the cross-bar 14C are the fingers lo, 13 which diverge relative to each other to form a wedge-shaped opening 2t? therebetween.

ri'he line-drawing device, generally designated by the numeral 22, includes a bipartite housing 24 consisting of two end to end sections 26, ZS joined at their adjacent ends by appropriate internal and external threading Sii. The forward end of the section 25 is in the form of a frustro-conical head 32 and carries an integral depending wedge 34- shaped complementarily to the opening 243 and embracingly received therein. At its lowermost end the wedge 34 is formed with a laterally-extending ange 36 adapted to underiie the fingers lo, 13 and to cooperate with the wedge proper to preclude vertical displacement of the housing 24 relative to the support 12. Rearwardly of the wedge 34, the undersurface of the housing section 25 is formed with a reinforced part 3S having an upwardly extending bore Citi.

Horizontal movement of the housing is precluded by the provision of a clip, including two gripping members 44, 46 pivotally interconnected by a pin 48. The pin is formed with a head 50 underlying the gripping members 411i, 46 and a shank 52 which is force iitted into the bore 4t2 on the reinforced part B of the housing section 26. The grip members 44, 46 include handle parts 44a, 46a extending rearwardly from the pivot pin 48 and jaw supporting parts dfib, 46h extending forwardly from the pin d. The jaw supporting parts 44h, i6!) terminate in jaws 44e, 46c or" substantially U-shaped cross-section and adapted to conformably embrace the sides 14a, Mb of the frame i4.

Surrounding the shank 52 of the pin 4S intermediate the gripping members 44, d6 is a coil spring 54 which has its ends 54a, Sdb anchored on the handle parts 44a, 46a of the gripping members 44, 46 by integral ears 44d, 46d struck from the respective gripping members 44, 46. The spring 54 is arranged to bias the gripping jaws 44C, 46c toward each other thereby precluding displacement of the housing 24 transversely of the support 12.

Mounted within the housing 24 is a line-marking instrument 56 which is slidably supported for extensile and retractile movement relative to the frustoconical head 32 of the housing. The line-marking instrument 56 is in the form of a ball-point pen including a writing tip 56a adapted to be extended beyond the head 32 and a cartridge Sb adapted to remain within the housing 2d and to extend axially thereof. Surrounding the cartridge 56h and within the housing 24 is an adjustment block 58 including a sleeve 60 commensurate in cross-section with the cross-section of an axial bore 32a in the enlarged frustro-conical head 32 of the housing 2d and a securement collar 62 commensurate in cross-section with the internal diameter of the housing 24. The rearrnost face of the collar 62, designated by the reference numeral 62a, serves as an abutment for a coil spring 6ft arranged within the housing 24 and serving to bias the line-marking instrument 56 into the extensile position of Fig. l.

In order to retract the linemarking instrument 56 into the position of Fig. 2 and further to tix the adjustment block 58 to the cartridge Sb, there is provided an operator 66 including a grip part 66a arranged externally of the housing 24 and a threaded shank 66b which is passed through a longitudinal slot 70 provided in the uppermost face of the housing 24. The threaded shank 661) is received within a suitably tapped hole in the enlarged collar 62 and includes an end face 66C serving as an abutment or bearing member engaged against the cartridge Sb. As clearly seen in Figs. l, 2 and 4 the slot 70 includes a laterally offset seating part 72 which is adapted to accommodate the shank 66h when the line-marking instrument 56 is drawn into the retracted position of Fig. 2 against the force of the spring 64. Any suitable tie, such as designated by the reference numeral '74, may be employed to fix the removable housing section 28 to the typewriter proper.

The device is used in substantially the following manner:

The clip 42 is grasped and the handle parts 44a, 46u squeezed toward each other against the oppositely exerted force of the spring 54 so that the gripping jaws 44C, 46c may be applied to the sides 14a, 14h of the frame i4. Simultaneously, the wedge 34 is engaged within the opening 20 defined by the fingers 16, 18 with the flange 34 underlying the fingers. Upon release of the inwardly directed force on the handle parts 44a, 46u, the housing 24 is firmly mounted with adequate horizontal and vertical rigidity, yet in a manner calculated to take advantage of the existing frame parts of the typewriter. Thereupon, the line-marking attachment may be brought into operation by removing the shank 68 from the bearing or seating part 72 formed at the extremity of the slot 70 remote from the cylinder 10. Thereupon, the spring 64 urges the ball point 56a of the scribing device 56 into the position of Fig. 1 wherein the ball point uniformly contacts the cylinder 10. Thereupon, horizontal lines can be drawn by displacing the carriage for the cylinder 10, vertical lines being drawn by merely rotating the cylinder while in a selected position of the carriage movement.

Periodic replacement and inspection of the ball point pen 56 may be readily accomplished by merely disengaging the rearmost section 28 of the housing 24 from the forward section 26, removing the spring 64, and disengaging the operator 66 from its supported position in the adjustment block 58. Thereupon the entire ball-point pen 56 and the fixture 58 may be removed from the housing. If the ball point pen no longer has a sufficient supply of ink, or it is desired to change the color of the ink, it is merely necessary to replace the unit, engage the fixture SS thereabout, and once again assemble the operator 66 and the spring 64, as seen in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there is provided a clip-supported ball-point line-drawing attachment which may be rigidly positioned on a typewriter with the ball point uniformly contacting the typewriter paper at the location where the imprint of the underline symbol would normally occur with the conventional typewriter mechanisms. The typist is able to draw vertical and horizontal lines quickly and accurately and without running the risk of penetrating and ripping the paper, drawing lines of different thickness and shading, or making unclear carbons.

Although only one embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed and described, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims, and that in some instances certain features of the invention may be used without use of other features.

What I claim is:

l. A line-drawing device for a typewriter having a support and a movable cylinder spaced forwardly of said support comprising a housing, means operatively connected to said housing and engageable with said support for detachably securing said housing to said support, a line-marking instrument including a ball-point writing tip and an ink cartridge slidably and rotatably mounted within said housing for extensile and retractile movement relative to said movable cylinder, spring means normally biasing said line-marking instrument into an extended position wherein said ball-point writing tip contacts said movable cylinder, and an operator engageable with said housing and connected to said line-marking instrument for moving the latter into a retracted position, said housing being provided with a longitudinal slot for the extension therethrough of said operator, said slot having a laterally offset seating part adapted to embracingly engage said operator in said retracted position.

2. The combination with a typewriter including a vertical printing point indicator frame having horizontal divergent fingers, and a movable cylinder spaced forwardly of said frame, of a line-drawing device for said typewriter comprising a housing, clip and wedge means operatively connected to said housing and respectively engageable with said frame and fingers for detachably securing said housing to said typewriter, a line-marking instrument including a ball-point writing tip mounted within said housing for extensile and retractile movement relative to said movable cylinder, spring means normally biasing said line-marking instrument into an extended position wherein said ball-point writing tip contacts said cylinder, and means operable exteriorly of said housing and connected to said line-marking instrument for moving the latter into a retracted position.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said clip and wedge means includes a pair of spring-biased jaws pivotally connected together and adapted to embrace said frame to fix said housing against displacement in one direction, and a depending wedge on said housing receivable between said divergent fingers and including a lateral ange extensible beneath said divergent fingers to fix said housing against displacement in a direction substantially normal to said one direction.

4. A line-drawing device for a typewriter having a support and a movable cylinder carriage spaced forwardly of said support comprising a bipartite housing, means operatively connected to said housing and engageable with said support for detachably securing said housing to said support, a line-marking instrument including a ballpoint writing tip and a cartridge mounted within said housing for extensile and retractile movement relative to said movable cylinder carriage, spring means normally biasing said line-marking instrument into an extended position wherein said ball-point writing tip contacts the cylinder, a collar surrounding said cartridge and adapted to be fixed thereto and operating means accessible exteriorly of said housing and operatively connected to said line-marking instrument for moving the latter into a retracted position, said operating means including a threaded stern extending through a longitudinal slot in said housing and receivable within a complementary threaded bore in said collar, said stem having an abutment face normally bearing against said cartridge and fixing said collar to said cartridge.

5. A line-drawing device for a typewriter having a support and a movable`cylinder carriage spaced forwardly of said support comprising a housing having a slot and adapted to be connected to said support, a line-marking instrument including a ball-point writing tip and a cartridge mounted within said housing for extensile and rctractile movement relative to said movable cylinder carriage, spring means normally biasing said line-marking instrument into an extended position wherein said ballpoint writing tip contacts the cylinder, a collar having a threaded bore surrounding said cartridge and adapted to be xed thereto, and operating means accessible exteriorly of said housing and operatively connected to said line-marking instrument for moving the latter into a retracted position, said operating means including a threaded stem extending through said slot in said housing and receivable within said threaded bore, said stem bearing against said cartridge and fixing said collar to said cartridge.

6. A line-drawing device for a typewriter having a support comprising a housing, releasable clip means operatively connected to said housing and engageable with said support for detachably securing said housing to said support, a line-marking instrument including a ball-point Writing tip and a cartridge mounted within said housing for movement relative to said housing, a collar surrounding said cartridge and adapted to be fixed thereto, and operating means accessible exteriorly of said housing and operatively connected to said line-marking instrument for moving the latter relative to said housing, said operating means including a threaded stem extending through a longitudinal slot in said housing and receivable within a complementary threaded bore in said collar, said stem having an abutment face normally bearing against said cartridge and fixing said collar to said cartridge.

7. The combination with a typewriter including a vertical printing point indicator frame having horizontal divergent fingers, and a movable cylinder spaced forwardly of said frame, of a line-drawing device for said typewriter comprising a housing, clip and wedge means operatively connected to said housing and respectively en cluding a ball-point writing tip mounted within said housing for extensile and retractile movement relative to said movable cylinder, and means operable exteriorly of said housing and connected to said line-marking instrument for moving the latter.

8. The combination with a typewriter including a printing point indicator frame having divergent fingers, and a movable cylinder spaced forwardly of said frame, ol a linedrawing device for said typewriter comprising a housing, a line-marking instrument including a ball-point writing tip mounted within said housing for extensile and retractile movement relative to said movable cylinder, and clip and wedge means operatively connected to said housing and respectively engageable with said frame and fingers for detachably securing said housing to said typewriter, said clip and wedge means including a pair of spring-biased jaws pivotally connected together and adapted to embrace said frame to fix said housing against displacement in one direction, and a depending wedge on said housing receivable between said divergent fingers and including a lateral liange extensible beneath said divergent fingers to fix said housing against displacement in a direction substantially normal to said one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,740 Pereira Nov. 22, 1921 1,433,453 Guerrero Oct. 24, 1922 2,490,600 Perez Dec. 6, 1949 2,581,167 Bosquet Ian. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 773,754 France Sept. 10, 1934 

